Moisture May Be to Blame for Odor, Bugs

Question: After moving into our house, we began to notice some troubling signs. There was mold on the bathroom floor, persistent carpet odors in the bedrooms and the frequent appearance of sow bugs along the walls. The odors are worst during wet weather, and treating them with carpet cleaners has not helped.

Should we be worried about water under the floor, and can we figure out what’s going on without ripping up the floors?

Answer: The one vital fact that’s missing from your letter is whether your home is built on a raised foundation or a concrete slab. Either way, you apparently have a ground moisture problem requiring evaluation by a drainage specialist.

If your home is built on a raised foundation, it is likely that ventilation of the subarea is inadequate. Excessive ground moisture and a lack of sufficient venting promote unpleasant odors and draw bugs.

Of greater concern, however, is the potential for fungus and dry-rot damage to the subfloor and framing structure. This should be evaluated by a licensed pest control operator (commonly known as a termite inspector).

On the other hand, if your home is built on a slab, ground moisture could be seeping through the concrete. Elimination of interior moisture in a slab home could be more difficult, as waterproofing an existing slab is usually not very effective. In that case, reducing the amount of ground water under the building would be the main goal.

For a general overview of the moisture problem and consequential defects, a qualified home inspector should be employed. For a detailed evaluation of drainage conditions and advice on eliminating ground moisture, a contractor who specializes in drainage mitigation should be consulted.

Finally, some forms of mold are known to cause health problems. Therefore, professional sampling and testing of the mold in your home would be advisable.

Plastic Drain Lines Can Amplify Water Sounds

Q: We just purchased a new home and have noticed an unusual problem. When the upstairs toilets are flushed, we can hear the water flowing loudly inside the wall. Sometimes it is very annoying.

We had the house inspected before closing escrow, but the inspector did not mention this in the report.

Is there something that can be done or is this normal?

A: The noise you hear is toilet effluent running down the drainpipe inside the wall. Residential drain lines are typically composed of plastic. This material, being light and moderately flexible, tends to amplify the sound of rushing water, especially in vertical piping where the flow is rapid.

In older homes, drainpipes usually consist of cast iron and steel. This significantly reduces the noise of water flow because the mass and rigidity of the material makes it less prone to vibration.

Substantial noise reduction would entail wall surgery. This, of course, would be costly as well as intrusive. Many people in your situation would simply put up with the noise.

A Good Inspection Can’t Be Done in One Hour

Q: When we bought our home six months ago, our inspector spent about one hour on the site, and his only recommendation was that the builder paint the top edges of all the doors.

We learned later that our neighbors’ home inspectors typically spent three to four hours on those inspections and produced long lists of items for the builder to correct.

Since moving in, we haven’t found any major problems, but we’ve definitely noticed some things that our inspector should have reported.

We’re planning to raise some issues with the inspector but would first like your opinion.

A: No home inspector, regardless of his or her qualifications or experience, can perform a worthwhile inspection in one hour. It simply cannot be done. There are no exceptions.

Furthermore, any inspector who performs one-hour inspections is taking financial advantage of home buyers, while missing innumerable property defects.

The undisclosed problems you’ve discovered so far are only the beginning.

You need to obtain a second home inspection to gain the full picture of what you’ve bought.

Whoever inspected your neighbors’ homes would probably be a good bet. Once you’ve acquired a more detailed report, you’ll know how to approach the one-hour inspector.

Barry Stone can be reached through his Web site at www.housedetective.com. Distributed by Access Media Group.